A blog for the students enrolled in ENGL 1020: Composition and Literature
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Blog 12 (two responses) Final Blog!!! Make it good!!!
Comment on the last scene in the novel between Bigger and Max, pp. 388-392. What is Bigger trying to describe to Max? Does Max understand? If not, will he ever understand? Will anyone understand? Do you, as a reader, understand?
The last scene in the novel is pretty powerful amongst most of the scenes that takes place throughout the novel. This scene is sort of the breaking point of everything that Bigger himself doesn't quite understands about life and what he has done to come to this point. Bigger ultimately is trying to describe to Mr. Max that he gets what he killed for, that he killed to be alive like others. Others meaning the white people that he sees around him, thinking that everything that they had, that he longed for was to be alive in his mind. Bigger takes complete control and consideration for what he has done and what Mr. Max explained to him. He finally realizes all of this because Bigger knows that he's going to die. Ironically, Bigger says what he killed for must've been good (392). I think as a reader that Max doesn't understand what Bigger is trying to describe to him. I feel as if Max wants him to feel sorry for himself, or rather beat himself up and be down about the fact that he's going to die. Also, I don't think that he will ever understand what Bigger was trying to tell him. As a reader I understand what Bigger was trying to describe to Max by seeing all points of view and seeing the journey that Bigger has taken to get to the point where he stands at the end of this novel. In all actuality, the only one that will understand will only be Bigger, because he says "but what I killed for, I am!" (392)
I agree with you about what Bigger is trying to tell Max. Also that Max does not understand what Bigger is trying to tell him. Max will never understand because even though he is insightful he does not know that situations that Bigger has been in. He is someone analyzing Bigger from the outside looking in. You are right about Bigger ultimately being the only one who will understand himself also.
I agree with both statement because Max doesn't know how it is in the hood than he won't understand how Bigger was thinking or feeling with the white society. i feel like Max was brought up in a better environment and accomplish goal in life. Bigger on the other hand is a young black kid that was a nobody who fell in the the rumor that the white society had on african american. For Bigger to accomplish something and to make his name something is something big for Bigger. i do believe that Bigger regret what he done.
I agree with Chelsea because I don’t think Max understood what Bigger said. Max probably told Bigger about the whole building situation just to get Bigger to have pity on himself. I don’t think Max will ever understand Bigger’s confession because he lives in a different world. Even though Max has tried to find equality for all people, he has never truly experience what Bigger had to go through in his entire life. Therefore, I don’t think anyone will truly understand Bigger’s words except Bigger himself.
The last scene of the novel is basically the defining moment of the whole story. This scene gives insight into what Bigger is thinking and his thought process. In the end Bigger is trying to explain why he thinks he did what he did and how what Max said about him in the courtroom has started to make him think. He does not want Max to feel bad for him because he does not feel bad for himself. He knows he is going to die so he just wants Max to understand him. Bigger realizes and tells Max that he just wanted to make his life mean something which is why he killed. Also at the end when he tells Max to tell Jan hello it shows that Bigger does not have anything much to fear from white people anymore (392). I feel that Max does not understand what Bigger is trying to say to him and I do not think that he ever will. When Bigger tells Max all this stuff he fiddles for his hat which shows how uncomfortable the conversation has gotten for him (390). It also supports the fact the Max will never really understand Bigger. As a reader, I do to a certain extant understand Bigger and I think that that is only because I watch a lot of Criminal Minds. I think that I understand Bigger a little bit more or as much as Max just because Bigger is the only one who will truly ever understand himself.
I agree that Max will never understand Bigger. Bigger is a complex individual, and he knew he was destined for the fate he has. Max never had the same experiences as Bigger, so he can never honestly understand. P.S. Criminal Minds is the bomb.
In believe that Bigger is not the most simple character in the novel but that is what make him who he is. Bigger knows that he will be in some type of trouble since the beginning of the novel, he had no way of escaping his fate to begin with. Max tried to persuade Bigger into thinking false accusations, but for the record Max never had the same experiences as Bigger.
The last seen of Native Son is very powerful. It is the defining moment of Bigger's character. Bigger knows his fate is sealed, and he reflects on how his life became so jumbled. When Bigger talks to Max, he is trying to explain, best he can, why he did everything. Bigger doesn't even know for sure himself, but he convinced himself he does. Bigger wants Max to understand that whats done is done. Bigger doesn't want anyone, especially Max to feel sorry for him. Max doesn't understand what Bigger is trying to tell him, and honestly, I don't think anyone ever will. As a reader, I don't fully understand. Bigger is complex, and he knew from the beginning that he was destined for something awful. Bigger had an anger that drove him to do awful things, but I don't think Bigger is a bad person.
The ending of the Native Son was epic and dramatics because the author focus on Bigger's thoughts and the courtroom. Bigger finally decided his fate and reminisce how everything started. Max tried to defend Bigger but Buckley stated that Bigger and Jack masturbated while watching a newsreel about Mary the same day she was killed. Later Buckley tells the courtroom that Bigger was a “maddened ape” who raped Mary, killed her, and burned her body to hide the evidence. Bigger lost in the jury and started to explain to Max what he was going through. Max doesn't understand because he not in the same predicament as Bigger. Bigger is trying to explain to Max that before all this he was a nobody but at the end he's the talk of the city. On page 391 Bigger said "i ain't trying to forgive me. i ain't going to cry. they wouldn't let me live and i killed Maybe it ain't fair kill, and i reckon i really didn't want to kill. But when i think of why all the killing was, i begin to feel what i wanted, what i am. Bigger has no regrets for what he done". As a reader i have to say i dont understand what Bigger was going through because i never got stuck in a predicament like Bigger. i have to say as a black male i might know how he felt with the White society was closing up on him. The white society will never help an african american in America.
@Noble: I partly agree and i partly disagree with your response. I do agree that the white society looks down on the black community especially the black males. However I do believe that there will be some people in the white society that will help blacks. However, the whites refuse to do the work for the blacks and this is why most of the time whites do not help blacks, for the simple facts that some blacks do not want to work for what they want.
@ Noble: I agree that white society is especially cruel toward black males. Look at the case with Trevon Martin. There was no reason for Zimmerman to kill this kid. It is blatant "murder", but this is a fact that most white males think that they can do what they want to black males and nothing will be said about it. Our black males get arrested just for DWB -Driving while Black. SMH. On the other hand, the sad truth is, black on black crime. There are black young males dieing daily in New Orleans due to another black shooting them... This is crazy. I will say this, my parents have white friends and I have had the pleasure of being in their company. I don't feel all white people feel this way, if they did, then none of them would have supported Trevon cause to hae Zimmerman arrested.
This last scene of the novel is basically the culmination of what Bigger has been attempting to say throughout the entire novel. This explanation refers back to an earlier blog where we wrote about the Deux Ex Machina. Throughout the entire and at the end of the novel Bigger is trying to explain the reason why he believes all of these things are happening in his life. Bigger believes that he is a product of his environment. He feels that no matter what, because of his skin tone and where he was raised he was destined to only do negative things. Because of stereotypes pertaining to his race, he did exactly what most people expected him to do. This expectation was that he would be a menace to society. Although he tries very hard to explain what he is saying, i do not believe that Max will ever be able to understand what Bigger is saying because he is of the opposite race and is not faced with the same challenges Bigger is faced with. Unless Max were to "change races" I do not believe he would ever truly understand what Bigger feeling and experiencing. I do understand the concept that Bigger believes, however i do not feel that he is 100% percent correct. While people do hold certain stereotypes, i do believe that people are ultimately responsible for their own actions. That being said, people control their destinies, not the thoughts and stereotypes of others.
I completely agree with almost everything you said. I also talked about stereotypes in my blog also in which people of today's time still have the same mentality of Bigger. Some think that society determines who they become even if they aren't conscious of that their thought. This kind of explains why there are so many murders and robberies today. Some feel that if they don't get what they want, they'll take it instead. All this does is prove that they are living up to society's stereotype of what one can accomplish in his life. However, I disagree when you said that Max does not understand Bigger, but I agree with what you said about Max not being able to fully understand Bigger unless Max walks in Bigger's shoes. I do believe, though, that Max understands to a certain to degree what Bigger is trying to tell him. Max is an outcast to society just as Bigger is. Max may not be black, but he is treated poorly for advocating for black's rights. He is looked down upon by his own people for wanting better for others. The difference between Max and Bigger is that Max knows how to go about obtaining his goals of justice even if he does not get exactly what he wished for.
I agree with what you said, but I think faith has a lot to do with the way the Bigger's character evolved. Bigger could have very well avoided killing Mary, but he still would have ended up with a rape charge because he was a black man in a white woman's bedroom at 2 A.M. Therefore, I agree with you about Bigger reacting how society wold have wanted him to react, but I don't think Bigger could have avoided any of the situations he was placed in.
Before his death, Bigger had the urge to speak out and explain why he killed. He wanted to let someone know how he felt and what kind of reactions it caused in him. That’s why Bigger was about to explode because he had “ [a] desire to talk [and] to tell” (388). Bigger tried to explain to Max that he didn’t have a desire to kill; in fact, Bigger didn’t want to “hurt nobody” (388). It was the claustrophobic feeling pent up in Bigger that led him to murder Mary and Bessie. Bigger grew up in a society that was restrictive and dictatorial for African Americans. Since, Bigger couldn’t do anything unless the white society allowed him to, he felt dead inside. Therefore, he acted drastically to live again; he needed a way resurrect his life. When Bigger was in his cell talking to Max, he told Max, “I was always wanting something and I was feeling that nobody would let me have it. So I fought ‘em” (388.) However, as a reader, I don’t think Max understood what Bigger was trying to say. Max was telling Bigger about his communistic views, which was “A few men are squeexing those buildings tightly in their hands…The men on the inside of those buildings…They don’t feel it’s their world...But men, men like you, get angry and fight to re-enter those buildings, to live again” (390). Max was explaining to Bigger how the white people are imposing on Bigger’s life just because of his color and how men of color react to these restrictions. Yet, Max fails to understand that Bigger was not only trying to make a stand about how his life was being imposed, but that he was trying to find some kind of reason to live in his dead life. Thus, I don’t think that Max will ever understand what Bigger is trying to say. As a reader, I don’t think I truly understand what Bigger was trying to say because I didn’t go through what he had to go through in his life. In the end I don’t think anyone will understand Bigger except Bigger himself.
I agree I don't think Bigger would ever be understood especially at this point in the novel because of his deceitful ways and the anger that he had built up in him. You are absolutely correct when you say, "Bigger grew up in a society that was restrictive and dictatorial for African Americans." By that statement he should have already known the type of treatment he was going to receive before he did what he did and he should have known that no one was going to care or even try to sympathize with what he was saying.
I agree that Bigger didn't intend to hurt anyone,but that was because he was ignorant to his own intentions. Bigger did do it to break free from the chains of society. It was necessary to completely break from society. I believe his race was also very important due to the time.
The last scene of the Native Son makes me think "WOW". It's basically about Bigger trying to explain himself to Max, making Max understand why he did the things he did. He told Max, "I never wanted to hurt nobody. That's the truth, Mr. Max. I hurt folks cause I felt I had to; that's all".(388) Bigger did not want to hurt Mary, he was actually trying to protect her and because of his ignorance, he smothered her to death. In this case, it shows he was trying to protect her from getting into trouble. He did not realized she was dead, until he could not awaken her. I am not sure if Max understood all Bigger was saying to him. He(Max) tried to explain to Bigger he was being treated that way, because of the color of his skin. There were a lot of hatred at that time, and sadly the racial hatred is still here today in 2012. Max, could never understand what Bigger was saying or thinking because he has always been a white man living in a white man's world. He would never be able to relate to Bigger for this reason and probably for this reason alone. I feel there are some black males in today's society that can relate to Bigger and some of his actions or way of thinking. It's unfortunate but true. Bigger was destined to get into trouble. He had this mind set that he had to get into something. As for me, I cannot relate to Bigger's way of thinking. Fortunately, I have goals and I am not trying to allow anyone to get in my way of successfully completing these goals. We all have to go through something that will either make you stronger or it will break you. I will be strong as an ox because I am not willing to just give up or BREAK.
The last scene of Native Son is full of action. It's basically about Bigger trying to explain himself to Max, making Max understand why he did the things he did. The audience is given the opportunity to know how Bigger is actually thinking, and in the end Bigger decides to explain why he thinks he did what he did and how what Max said about him in the courtroom has started to make him think.Max does not understand Bigger's plead that he is trying to save himself, instead Max is never going to understand where Bigger is coming from.Bigger is a hard character to read because he is known for doing the absolute most, and no one will truly understand Bigger like he will.
The last scene has various of things going on and it's one of the most exciting scenes happening because Bigger is opening up to someone. Throughout the entire novel Bigger held everything in but he's actually trying to explain to Max why he did what he did. Bigger is a whole new person I thought he was trying to get Max to feel sorry for him by telling his part of the story for why he did what he did. But, throughout Biggers' explanation I felt that Max didn't understand what he is saying and I don't think no one ever will just because of his color of skin, the lies he told to cover up things, and the stereotypes that people believe to be true. I understand but I still feel that Bigger is getting the treatment he deserves because if it isn't self defense there should have been no reason for him to kill innocent people. I feel this way about any race but as for white people that would have had a red carpet laid out for what they did instead of being punished for it.
Bigger is trying to explain to Max what he is feeling. He feels as though he has to have someone understand him before he dies. All this time throughout the novel he refused to open up to anyone. Now that he realizes that he has to die, he wants someone to finally understand where he is coming from and why he did the things that he did. He also wants Max to envision what Bigger envisioned for himself. Bigger wanted things that he could not have because of the conditions that he was living in which included the biased people that surrounded him. Max understands what Bigger is saying. Max is trying to get Bigger to see where he went wrong with trying to obtain what he wanted. Max tells Bigger that it is okay to want the things that he wanted, but the way that he went about trying to obtain the things that he wanted was wrong. Because Bigger could not have his way, he decided to kill because he felt that there was nothing else that he could do. I do understand, and I agree with Max. If the world suppresses your desires to succeed thats's not an excuse to go and kill. That is not what great African Americans did in the past to conquer all of the battles that were thrown their way. They justly took the beatings, racial slurs, and injustice and continued to persevere to achieve the goal of being equal so that people today could be able to pursue anything that they want. There should be no racial boundary to say who can ascertain certain goals, but as I look at today's society, there is still much more to achieve because many African American men feel like the "man" is holding them down. This is kind of an excuse to justify their acts of wrongdoing which is what Bigger did. He is trying to justify his acts to Max before he dies. Bigger knows that he is wrong for murdering, but he just wants Max to understand exactly what he felt when he murdered. Max's reply to Bigger's reasoning is that he does not believe in himself. I completely agree with that statement and can apply it to today's world. Many people don't believe in themselves making them succumb to the world's standards of everyday stereotypes. This is the same thing that Bigger did. The novel began by saying that Bigger knew that his fate was not bright meaning he already thought what society thought of him. If this mentality is upheld throughout time, the world will never get better.
Great Response! I 100% agree. Bigger just wanted people to understand him and he just want to be equal from everybody. He felt as though his life was pointless because of how society viewed of him and his own people. As Bigger explained his experience and how he felt to Max, Max cannot fully understand where Bigger is coming from because he does not had a dark skin. Racial discrimination was played a lot throughout this novel. Just because Bigger was a black man, he was looked down by the white society. Bigger knew that his future was not going to be bright and that is mainly because of the society he was living in.
While they were in the courtroom, Max tries to discuss the matter of Bigger's case. He wanted the court to understand Bigger and why he did what he did. Bigger wanted people to understand him, but Max cannot understand Bigger because he himself was a white man. Bigger tries to explain himself to Max hoping he was understand how he felt. But Max cannot put himself in Bigger shoe and felt how Bigger felt when he committed that crime. I do not think Max will ever understand where Bigger is coming from. Also, I do not understand why Bigger did the things he did. I know that he was trying to protect Mary, but I would had left it the way it is. Maybe he was nervous or was afraid to get caught, but that was better than smothering her to death. Just because he was a African American man that was looked down upon, it does not mean he can go and commit a crime. Yes, I do agree that there is a lot of racial issues here today and nothing can fixed that, but the action that Bigger committed was unnecessary.
The final scene is the most significant because it's the culmination of Bigger's understanding. Bigger understands that this moment was the only way to true freedom from the society. Death ultimately would be the only way to escape the troubles of his life and he no longer needs hope because he is not remorseful for his acts. Max and others of his society could never being to comprehend what it is like to be trapped, and be one of a few who are actually aware of their capture. Many of the blacks around him don't understand how it could be so bad that he needs to be a murder, but they don't see how dismal the world really is. Max, as an activist, views all people as equal, but that is a fault on his part because the machine of Gods, society will never allow any two people to be exactly equal. Bigger understands that each person being an individual will always create a divide, so I must say I see Bigger's need for self-emancipation. I also see what Bigger views as the unfair qualities of life that may never change.
The final scene in the novel is a powerful one. Bigger attempts to explain how he had come to the point where he now was. He, himself, had also finally understood his actions and was ready to face his penalty. He is no longer hopeful because he knows that hope can get him nowhere. I don't think Max will ever understand what Bigger was trying to tell him. All he understands is that Bigger made a mistake and shouldn't be penalized for it because it was not his fault. In actuality, Bigger is trying to tell Max that the crimes he committed were inevitable. He couldn't have avoided them even if he wanted to because of the society he lived in. Max would never understand that because he was not a member of the society Bigger lived. Max was just like Jan and Mary. They all wanted to understand Bigger and his kind, but it was impossible. You had to live his lifestyle, which they had not, to understand why he would commit such brutal crimes. I think African-Americans in Bigger's situation would understand. Anyone else would simply hear Bigger's cries for help but wouldn't have a solution to his problem.
In the last scene between Bigger and Max, Bigger explains to Max why he's content with dying because he understands what he did and why he did it. For Bigger, he was already dead before he killed Mary. He had already been executed by society. Bigger wanted to have things that were uncommon for African American to possess in this era and society was to blame for him not having it. As an initial result, he killed. It made him feel like he had the power and he could do whatever he wanted. Bigger just wanted to be treated like a man and never having the satisfaction he reacted with violence.
The last scene of the novel was the most important and very powerful. Bigger had finally realized his fate and he knew that he was gonna die and he was content with that. Before he died Bigger felt that he needed to share with Max the truth and his prospective on life. It was kind of like when people are on death role and scheduled to be executed they want to make piece with the lord before they die. Bigger had been suffering all his life and death was gone be his escape from pain and suffering. Bigger was trying to explain to Max even if he didn't Mary he was going to do something bad that would in up getting him in trouble because of the life he had. Max would never truly understand where Bigger was coming from because he will never live the life Bigger had. Unless you've lived the life Bigger had you'll never understand.
The last scene in the novel is pretty powerful amongst most of the scenes that takes place throughout the novel. This scene is sort of the breaking point of everything that Bigger himself doesn't quite understands about life and what he has done to come to this point. Bigger ultimately is trying to describe to Mr. Max that he gets what he killed for, that he killed to be alive like others. Others meaning the white people that he sees around him, thinking that everything that they had, that he longed for was to be alive in his mind. Bigger takes complete control and consideration for what he has done and what Mr. Max explained to him. He finally realizes all of this because Bigger knows that he's going to die. Ironically, Bigger says what he killed for must've been good (392). I think as a reader that Max doesn't understand what Bigger is trying to describe to him. I feel as if Max wants him to feel sorry for himself, or rather beat himself up and be down about the fact that he's going to die. Also, I don't think that he will ever understand what Bigger was trying to tell him. As a reader I understand what Bigger was trying to describe to Max by seeing all points of view and seeing the journey that Bigger has taken to get to the point where he stands at the end of this novel. In all actuality, the only one that will understand will only be Bigger, because he says "but what I killed for, I am!" (392)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about what Bigger is trying to tell Max. Also that Max does not understand what Bigger is trying to tell him. Max will never understand because even though he is insightful he does not know that situations that Bigger has been in. He is someone analyzing Bigger from the outside looking in. You are right about Bigger ultimately being the only one who will understand himself also.
DeleteI agree with both statement because Max doesn't know how it is in the hood than he won't understand how Bigger was thinking or feeling with the white society. i feel like Max was brought up in a better environment and accomplish goal in life. Bigger on the other hand is a young black kid that was a nobody who fell in the the rumor that the white society had on african american. For Bigger to accomplish something and to make his name something is something big for Bigger. i do believe that Bigger regret what he done.
DeleteI agree with Chelsea because I don’t think Max understood what Bigger said. Max probably told Bigger about the whole building situation just to get Bigger to have pity on himself. I don’t think Max will ever understand Bigger’s confession because he lives in a different world. Even though Max has tried to find equality for all people, he has never truly experience what Bigger had to go through in his entire life. Therefore, I don’t think anyone will truly understand Bigger’s words except Bigger himself.
DeleteThe last scene of the novel is basically the defining moment of the whole story. This scene gives insight into what Bigger is thinking and his thought process. In the end Bigger is trying to explain why he thinks he did what he did and how what Max said about him in the courtroom has started to make him think. He does not want Max to feel bad for him because he does not feel bad for himself. He knows he is going to die so he just wants Max to understand him. Bigger realizes and tells Max that he just wanted to make his life mean something which is why he killed. Also at the end when he tells Max to tell Jan hello it shows that Bigger does not have anything much to fear from white people anymore (392). I feel that Max does not understand what Bigger is trying to say to him and I do not think that he ever will. When Bigger tells Max all this stuff he fiddles for his hat which shows how uncomfortable the conversation has gotten for him (390). It also supports the fact the Max will never really understand Bigger. As a reader, I do to a certain extant understand Bigger and I think that that is only because I watch a lot of Criminal Minds. I think that I understand Bigger a little bit more or as much as Max just because Bigger is the only one who will truly ever understand himself.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Max will never understand Bigger. Bigger is a complex individual, and he knew he was destined for the fate he has. Max never had the same experiences as Bigger, so he can never honestly understand.
DeleteP.S. Criminal Minds is the bomb.
In believe that Bigger is not the most simple character in the novel but that is what make him who he is. Bigger knows that he will be in some type of trouble since the beginning of the novel, he had no way of escaping his fate to begin with. Max tried to persuade Bigger into thinking false accusations, but for the record Max never had the same experiences as Bigger.
DeleteThe last seen of Native Son is very powerful. It is the defining moment of Bigger's character. Bigger knows his fate is sealed, and he reflects on how his life became so jumbled. When Bigger talks to Max, he is trying to explain, best he can, why he did everything. Bigger doesn't even know for sure himself, but he convinced himself he does. Bigger wants Max to understand that whats done is done. Bigger doesn't want anyone, especially Max to feel sorry for him. Max doesn't understand what Bigger is trying to tell him, and honestly, I don't think anyone ever will. As a reader, I don't fully understand. Bigger is complex, and he knew from the beginning that he was destined for something awful. Bigger had an anger that drove him to do awful things, but I don't think Bigger is a bad person.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe ending of the Native Son was epic and dramatics because the author focus on Bigger's thoughts and the courtroom. Bigger finally decided his fate and reminisce how everything started. Max tried to defend Bigger but Buckley stated that Bigger and Jack masturbated while watching a newsreel about Mary the same day she was killed. Later Buckley tells the courtroom that Bigger was a “maddened ape” who raped Mary, killed her, and burned her body to hide the evidence. Bigger lost in the jury and started to explain to Max what he was going through. Max doesn't understand because he not in the same predicament as Bigger. Bigger is trying to explain to Max that before all this he was a nobody but at the end he's the talk of the city. On page 391 Bigger said "i ain't trying to forgive me. i ain't going to cry. they wouldn't let me live and i killed Maybe it ain't fair kill, and i reckon i really didn't want to kill. But when i think of why all the killing was, i begin to feel what i wanted, what i am. Bigger has no regrets for what he done". As a reader i have to say i dont understand what Bigger was going through because i never got stuck in a predicament like Bigger. i have to say as a black male i might know how he felt with the White society was closing up on him. The white society will never help an african american in America.
ReplyDelete@Noble: I partly agree and i partly disagree with your response. I do agree that the white society looks down on the black community especially the black males. However I do believe that there will be some people in the white society that will help blacks. However, the whites refuse to do the work for the blacks and this is why most of the time whites do not help blacks, for the simple facts that some blacks do not want to work for what they want.
Delete@ Noble: I agree that white society is especially cruel toward black males. Look at the case with Trevon Martin. There was no reason for Zimmerman to kill this kid. It is blatant "murder", but this is a fact that most white males think that they can do what they want to black males and nothing will be said about it. Our black males get arrested just for DWB -Driving while Black. SMH. On the other hand, the sad truth is, black on black crime. There are black young males dieing daily in New Orleans due to another black shooting them... This is crazy. I will say this, my parents have white friends and I have had the pleasure of being in their company. I don't feel all white people feel this way, if they did, then none of them would have supported Trevon cause to hae Zimmerman arrested.
DeleteThis last scene of the novel is basically the culmination of what Bigger has been attempting to say throughout the entire novel. This explanation refers back to an earlier blog where we wrote about the Deux Ex Machina. Throughout the entire and at the end of the novel Bigger is trying to explain the reason why he believes all of these things are happening in his life. Bigger believes that he is a product of his environment. He feels that no matter what, because of his skin tone and where he was raised he was destined to only do negative things. Because of stereotypes pertaining to his race, he did exactly what most people expected him to do. This expectation was that he would be a menace to society. Although he tries very hard to explain what he is saying, i do not believe that Max will ever be able to understand what Bigger is saying because he is of the opposite race and is not faced with the same challenges Bigger is faced with. Unless Max were to "change races" I do not believe he would ever truly understand what Bigger feeling and experiencing. I do understand the concept that Bigger believes, however i do not feel that he is 100% percent correct. While people do hold certain stereotypes, i do believe that people are ultimately responsible for their own actions. That being said, people control their destinies, not the thoughts and stereotypes of others.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with almost everything you said. I also talked about stereotypes in my blog also in which people of today's time still have the same mentality of Bigger. Some think that society determines who they become even if they aren't conscious of that their thought. This kind of explains why there are so many murders and robberies today. Some feel that if they don't get what they want, they'll take it instead. All this does is prove that they are living up to society's stereotype of what one can accomplish in his life. However, I disagree when you said that Max does not understand Bigger, but I agree with what you said about Max not being able to fully understand Bigger unless Max walks in Bigger's shoes. I do believe, though, that Max understands to a certain to degree what Bigger is trying to tell him. Max is an outcast to society just as Bigger is. Max may not be black, but he is treated poorly for advocating for black's rights. He is looked down upon by his own people for wanting better for others. The difference between Max and Bigger is that Max knows how to go about obtaining his goals of justice even if he does not get exactly what he wished for.
DeleteI agree with what you said, but I think faith has a lot to do with the way the Bigger's character evolved. Bigger could have very well avoided killing Mary, but he still would have ended up with a rape charge because he was a black man in a white woman's bedroom at 2 A.M. Therefore, I agree with you about Bigger reacting how society wold have wanted him to react, but I don't think Bigger could have avoided any of the situations he was placed in.
DeleteBefore his death, Bigger had the urge to speak out and explain why he killed. He wanted to let someone know how he felt and what kind of reactions it caused in him. That’s why Bigger was about to explode because he had “ [a] desire to talk [and] to tell” (388). Bigger tried to explain to Max that he didn’t have a desire to kill; in fact, Bigger didn’t want to “hurt nobody” (388). It was the claustrophobic feeling pent up in Bigger that led him to murder Mary and Bessie. Bigger grew up in a society that was restrictive and dictatorial for African Americans. Since, Bigger couldn’t do anything unless the white society allowed him to, he felt dead inside. Therefore, he acted drastically to live again; he needed a way resurrect his life. When Bigger was in his cell talking to Max, he told Max, “I was always wanting something and I was feeling that nobody would let me have it. So I fought ‘em” (388.) However, as a reader, I don’t think Max understood what Bigger was trying to say. Max was telling Bigger about his communistic views, which was “A few men are squeexing those buildings tightly in their hands…The men on the inside of those buildings…They don’t feel it’s their world...But men, men like you, get angry and fight to re-enter those buildings, to live again” (390). Max was explaining to Bigger how the white people are imposing on Bigger’s life just because of his color and how men of color react to these restrictions. Yet, Max fails to understand that Bigger was not only trying to make a stand about how his life was being imposed, but that he was trying to find some kind of reason to live in his dead life. Thus, I don’t think that Max will ever understand what Bigger is trying to say. As a reader, I don’t think I truly understand what Bigger was trying to say because I didn’t go through what he had to go through in his life. In the end I don’t think anyone will understand Bigger except Bigger himself.
ReplyDeleteI agree I don't think Bigger would ever be understood especially at this point in the novel because of his deceitful ways and the anger that he had built up in him. You are absolutely correct when you say, "Bigger grew up in a society that was restrictive and dictatorial for African Americans." By that statement he should have already known the type of treatment he was going to receive before he did what he did and he should have known that no one was going to care or even try to sympathize with what he was saying.
DeleteI agree that Bigger didn't intend to hurt anyone,but that was because he was ignorant to his own intentions. Bigger did do it to break free from the chains of society. It was necessary to completely break from society. I believe his race was also very important due to the time.
DeleteThe last scene of the Native Son makes me think "WOW". It's basically about Bigger trying to explain himself to Max, making Max understand why he did the things he did. He told Max, "I never wanted to hurt nobody. That's the truth, Mr. Max. I hurt folks cause I felt I had to; that's all".(388) Bigger did not want to hurt Mary, he was actually trying to protect her and because of his ignorance, he smothered her to death. In this case, it shows he was trying to protect her from getting into trouble. He did not realized she was dead, until he could not awaken her. I am not sure if Max understood all Bigger was saying to him. He(Max) tried to explain to Bigger he was being treated that way, because of the color of his skin. There were a lot of hatred at that time, and sadly the racial hatred is still here today in 2012. Max, could never understand what Bigger was saying or thinking because he has always been a white man living in a white man's world. He would never be able to relate to Bigger for this reason and probably for this reason alone. I feel there are some black males in today's society that can relate to Bigger and some of his actions or way of thinking. It's unfortunate but true. Bigger was destined to get into trouble. He had this mind set that he had to get into something. As for me, I cannot relate to Bigger's way of thinking. Fortunately, I have goals and I am not trying to allow anyone to get in my way of successfully completing these goals. We all have to go through something that will either make you stronger or it will break you. I will be strong as an ox because I am not willing to just give up or BREAK.
ReplyDeleteThe last scene of Native Son is full of action. It's basically about Bigger trying to explain himself to Max, making Max understand why he did the things he did. The audience is given the opportunity to know how Bigger is actually thinking, and in the end Bigger decides to explain why he thinks he did what he did and how what Max said about him in the courtroom has started to make him think.Max does not understand Bigger's plead that he is trying to save himself, instead Max is never going to understand where Bigger is coming from.Bigger is a hard character to read because he is known for doing the absolute most, and no one will truly understand Bigger like he will.
ReplyDeleteThe last scene has various of things going on and it's one of the most exciting scenes happening because Bigger is opening up to someone. Throughout the entire novel Bigger held everything in but he's actually trying to explain to Max why he did what he did. Bigger is a whole new person I thought he was trying to get Max to feel sorry for him by telling his part of the story for why he did what he did. But, throughout Biggers' explanation I felt that Max didn't understand what he is saying and I don't think no one ever will just because of his color of skin, the lies he told to cover up things, and the stereotypes that people believe to be true. I understand but I still feel that Bigger is getting the treatment he deserves because if it isn't self defense there should have been no reason for him to kill innocent people. I feel this way about any race but as for white people that would have had a red carpet laid out for what they did instead of being punished for it.
ReplyDeleteBigger is trying to explain to Max what he is feeling. He feels as though he has to have someone understand him before he dies. All this time throughout the novel he refused to open up to anyone. Now that he realizes that he has to die, he wants someone to finally understand where he is coming from and why he did the things that he did. He also wants Max to envision what Bigger envisioned for himself. Bigger wanted things that he could not have because of the conditions that he was living in which included the biased people that surrounded him. Max understands what Bigger is saying. Max is trying to get Bigger to see where he went wrong with trying to obtain what he wanted. Max tells Bigger that it is okay to want the things that he wanted, but the way that he went about trying to obtain the things that he wanted was wrong. Because Bigger could not have his way, he decided to kill because he felt that there was nothing else that he could do. I do understand, and I agree with Max. If the world suppresses your desires to succeed thats's not an excuse to go and kill. That is not what great African Americans did in the past to conquer all of the battles that were thrown their way. They justly took the beatings, racial slurs, and injustice and continued to persevere to achieve the goal of being equal so that people today could be able to pursue anything that they want. There should be no racial boundary to say who can ascertain certain goals, but as I look at today's society, there is still much more to achieve because many African American men feel like the "man" is holding them down. This is kind of an excuse to justify their acts of wrongdoing which is what Bigger did. He is trying to justify his acts to Max before he dies. Bigger knows that he is wrong for murdering, but he just wants Max to understand exactly what he felt when he murdered. Max's reply to Bigger's reasoning is that he does not believe in himself. I completely agree with that statement and can apply it to today's world. Many people don't believe in themselves making them succumb to the world's standards of everyday stereotypes. This is the same thing that Bigger did. The novel began by saying that Bigger knew that his fate was not bright meaning he already thought what society thought of him. If this mentality is upheld throughout time, the world will never get better.
ReplyDeleteGreat Response! I 100% agree. Bigger just wanted people to understand him and he just want to be equal from everybody. He felt as though his life was pointless because of how society viewed of him and his own people. As Bigger explained his experience and how he felt to Max, Max cannot fully understand where Bigger is coming from because he does not had a dark skin. Racial discrimination was played a lot throughout this novel. Just because Bigger was a black man, he was looked down by the white society. Bigger knew that his future was not going to be bright and that is mainly because of the society he was living in.
ReplyDeleteWhile they were in the courtroom, Max tries to discuss the matter of Bigger's case. He wanted the court to understand Bigger and why he did what he did. Bigger wanted people to understand him, but Max cannot understand Bigger because he himself was a white man. Bigger tries to explain himself to Max hoping he was understand how he felt. But Max cannot put himself in Bigger shoe and felt how Bigger felt when he committed that crime. I do not think Max will ever understand where Bigger is coming from. Also, I do not understand why Bigger did the things he did. I know that he was trying to protect Mary, but I would had left it the way it is. Maybe he was nervous or was afraid to get caught, but that was better than smothering her to death. Just because he was a African American man that was looked down upon, it does not mean he can go and commit a crime. Yes, I do agree that there is a lot of racial issues here today and nothing can fixed that, but the action that Bigger committed was unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteThe final scene is the most significant because it's the culmination of Bigger's understanding. Bigger understands that this moment was the only way to true freedom from the society. Death ultimately would be the only way to escape the troubles of his life and he no longer needs hope because he is not remorseful for his acts. Max and others of his society could never being to comprehend what it is like to be trapped, and be one of a few who are actually aware of their capture. Many of the blacks around him don't understand how it could be so bad that he needs to be a murder, but they don't see how dismal the world really is. Max, as an activist, views all people as equal, but that is a fault on his part because the machine of Gods, society will never allow any two people to be exactly equal. Bigger understands that each person being an individual will always create a divide, so I must say I see Bigger's need for self-emancipation. I also see what Bigger views as the unfair qualities of life that may never change.
ReplyDeleteThe final scene in the novel is a powerful one. Bigger attempts to explain how he had come to the point where he now was. He, himself, had also finally understood his actions and was ready to face his penalty. He is no longer hopeful because he knows that hope can get him nowhere. I don't think Max will ever understand what Bigger was trying to tell him. All he understands is that Bigger made a mistake and shouldn't be penalized for it because it was not his fault. In actuality, Bigger is trying to tell Max that the crimes he committed were inevitable. He couldn't have avoided them even if he wanted to because of the society he lived in. Max would never understand that because he was not a member of the society Bigger lived. Max was just like Jan and Mary. They all wanted to understand Bigger and his kind, but it was impossible. You had to live his lifestyle, which they had not, to understand why he would commit such brutal crimes. I think African-Americans in Bigger's situation would understand. Anyone else would simply hear Bigger's cries for help but wouldn't have a solution to his problem.
ReplyDeleteIn the last scene between Bigger and Max, Bigger explains to Max why he's content with dying because he understands what he did and why he did it. For Bigger, he was already dead before he killed Mary. He had already been executed by society. Bigger wanted to have things that were uncommon for African American to possess in this era and society was to blame for him not having it. As an initial result, he killed. It made him feel like he had the power and he could do whatever he wanted. Bigger just wanted to be treated like a man and never having the satisfaction he reacted with violence.
ReplyDeleteThe last scene of the novel was the most important and very powerful. Bigger had finally realized his fate and he knew that he was gonna die and he was content with that. Before he died Bigger felt that he needed to share with Max the truth and his prospective on life. It was kind of like when people are on death role and scheduled to be executed they want to make piece with the lord before they die. Bigger had been suffering all his life and death was gone be his escape from pain and suffering. Bigger was trying to explain to Max even if he didn't Mary he was going to do something bad that would in up getting him in trouble because of the life he had. Max would never truly understand where Bigger was coming from because he will never live the life Bigger had. Unless you've lived the life Bigger had you'll never understand.
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